Elderly Black woman accuses officer of breaking arm; bodycam video released
74-year-old Ruby Jones claims three officers used excessive force when they came to her residence in hopes of arresting her mentally ill son
The Oklahoma City police are in the crosshairs of public outrage after bodycam footage was released, which shows officers roughly taking a 74-year-old Black woman into custody and fracturing her arm in the process.
In documents obtained by TMZ, Ruby Jones claims she suffered a broken right arm due to the officers’ “use of excessive force” when they came to her residence in hopes of arresting her mentally ill son, Chauncey.
On Tuesday, the footage of the incident was released, seemingly confirming her account.
Shortly thereafter, her attorney, Damario Solomon-Simmons, filed a lawsuit against the City of Oklahoma City and the three police officers involved with the August 2020 incident.
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Jones’ son had allegedly called in a bomb threat at the Red Rock Behavioral Center, which caused authorities to trace the call back to her home. When she met the responding officers at the front door, the concerned mother said that they asked for her consent to enter, which she declined to give.
She also notes that the police refused to provide her with any proof of a warrant authorizing them to enter her home. To her point, in the clip released, you can hear police threatening to throw her in jail if she doesn’t get out of their way. When she doesn’t budge, they then attempt to handcuff her while screaming, “Let me see your f***ing hands.”
The lawsuit explains that a frightened Jones pled with police not to shoot her son Chauncey, informing them that he was not armed and also suffers from bipolar disorder. In the video she can be heard repeatedly confirming he doesn’t have a gun but they only respond by warning her, “You’re fixin’ to go sit in the car.”
Jone’s claim outlines that once she made it clear that she didn’t feel safe leaving her home, the frustrated officers “grabbed her arm, and forcefully yanked her out of the bedroom.”
The bodycam not only captured those moments but also showed her telling the officers she suffers from heart disease. Her lawyer says that no grace was shown to his elderly client, who was ultimately thrown against a mirror and handcuffed so savagely that it caused them to break her arm.
Jones is suing for assault and battery, excessive force, and seeking unspecified damages.
An unforgivable mistake
“Accidents” during interactions with police, like the one Jones claims she was subjected to, have received heightened scrutiny over the last week.
Earlier this week, we reported the death of 20-year-old Black motorist Daunte Wright, who was fatally shot during a traffic stop, igniting days of unrest and clashes between protesters and police.
A Minnesota prosecutor said Wednesday that he will charge Kim Potter, the white former suburban Minneapolis police officer identified as the shooter in the incident. Potter will be charged with second-degree manslaughter, Washington County Attorney Pete Orput said. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The announcement came a day after Potter resigned from the Brooklyn Center Police Department, where she had served for 26 years. Police Chief Tim Gannon also resigned Tuesday.
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Gannon has said he believed Potter mistakenly grabbed her gun when she was going for her Taser. However, protesters and Wright’s family members say there’s no excuse for the shooting and it shows how the justice system is tilted against Blacks, noting Wright was stopped for expired car registration and ended up dead.
The charging decision was announced as the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin progresses. George Floyd, a Black man, died May 25 after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck.
Gannon had released Potter’s body camera video the day after the Sunday shooting. It showed her approaching Wright as he stood outside of his car as another officer was arresting him for an outstanding warrant. Police said he was pulled over for having expired registration tags.
As Wright struggles with police, Potter is hearing shouting “I’ll Tase you! I’ll Tase you! Taser! Taser! Taser!” before firing a single shot from her handgun.
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